The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-15
A NOVELIST AT sUNDAY-sCHOOL.
Georges w. Cable Directing q Monster Bib
Class in fremont Temple. Boston.

Georges w. Cable Directing Monster Bible
Class in fremont Temple, Boston.
Boston Special to New York sun.
George W. Cable. the novelist, is gaining dis
tinction in new field in this community. For
several weeks he has had charge of institu-
ton peculiar to Boston, a monster Bible class.
The Rev. DR.. R. r. Meredith, who two months
ago removed to Brooklyn. organized and main
tanned for several years great popular Bible
class for Sunday-school teachers of all the evan
gelIcal denominations. Since the international
system OF Sunday school lessons was adopted
the advantage of instruction by trained teach
er of teachers has been benefcially felt in all
the schools in this vicinity The class has
grown so large that it has filled fremont Tenn
pie regularly every Saturday afternoon for many
months. The average attendance has been
about $780, The method of instruction has
been much the same that which prevails in
many schoolrooms. The pupils are expected TO
ask and answer questions freely.
Perhaps in some communities it would be
simple and easy task to msnagea great popular
assembly in this Not in Boston.
The proportion of cranks to population here. as
DR.. Meredith well knows, is larger than In any
American community outside the big lunatc
asylums. The ambitious religious cranks, and
their name is legion, became regular attendants
at d.. Meredith's Bible class 1t soon became
manifest that they couldn't air any OF their
peculiar notions in fremont Temple. DIR.
Meredith is every inch fighter He had no
patience with any form of nonsense among his
pupils Any PERSISTENT attempt and there
were many of them at first, to ride religious
hobby in his presence was sure to be savagely
squelehed- Sometimes he would burst out:
Now my friend. just sit down and be quiet.
Shut up! We have heard enough from you"
In most cases it didn't require more than one
dose of this medicine TO silence man. In two
or three cases even this remedy failed to prove
effectual, and then the offenders were uncere-
moniously bounced by the door keepers. When
DR.. Meredith gave up the class II was In fine
st ate of discipline, for under bis rigorous treat
m ent most of the cranks had been welded out.
1t still required, and always will require
strong hand and ready wit to successfully man
age great conversational assembly made up OF
such heterogeneous elements The selection or
Mr. Gable by COMMITTEES for the task was re-
ceived with many miseivings. The impression
made upon people by his books the gentle
creole dialect which he writes so cbarmingly,
and by his personal appearance as well, was
tn at while he was a man of culture and
refinement he failed to possess in sufficient de-
Or ee those qualities of commanding force. in
tense personal magnetism, and power OF savage
re eartee which seemed essential in controlling
the fremont Temple class.
There have been some interesting differences
in Mr.. Cables methods compared with DE-:
Meredith's Thus far Mr.. Cable has main ned
as complete control of his many hundred pupils
did DIR. Meredith. He has done 1t, too, by
gentler methods. His retorts TO stupid ques
tons effectual, but deprecstory and evasive.
rather than savage and singing. lie never re-
sorts to rdicule, and, although the stupidity OF
the questoner may be- laid bare, the reply car
ries with it offense. Whether this milder
method will prove permanently efectual, 1t is,
perhaps too soon to determine
For a man of distinctly literary tastes, Mr..
Cable Possesses in a remarkable degree the pub
lie debaters power of facile retort. The Sun
correspondent en- tered the Temple last Saturday
Just somebody asked:
"Whv there many denominasousF
Instantly the reply came: Because the hu-
man heart is desperately wicked" Then. when
the laugh had su bsided. Mr. Gable gave his real
to the question as follows: "The reason
there many denominations is because we
have lost our perspective as to the comparative
value Of the truths OF the gospel Ii we could
base our belief the simple faith alone that
Christ came into the world to sinners,
there would be denominations. L am here
in my official ca pacity as believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ. and as an example Of that funda-
mental truth that the gospel is SC simple that
teach it. saw this week the mghtiest creed
tn at my eyes fell upon and that creed had
an 'if in il. This is it:
8 If Jesus Christ Is man. and only man. say
shat of ali mankind l cleave TO Him, and will
cleave to Him. LIE Jesus Christ is God. and only
God swear l will follow Him through heaven
and hell, through earth and air.
''Can thoss who sing that from the heart be
divIded!"
A man who can off hand answer fire of cues
tons forclbly and appropriately as in the in
stance quoted is plainly well equipped for the
is by means decided, however, that Mr.. Cable
will continue to teach the fremont Temple
class. His engagement ends with the present
month, and although he has been earnestly
pressed to continue, he has not yet decided to
do so. His for hesltatlng is that it will
seriously interfere with his arrangements for
the lecture season if he is obliged to be in Bos
going the rounds OF the press to the effect that
Mr. Cables compensation teacher of the
Bible class is $4,000 per annum. His actual
income from this source is $50 per lesson.